Lamp

ABSTRACT

An improved lamp assembly is provided which may be used, for example, as an advertising display, or for illuminating purposes wherever a soft light is desired, such as in bars, as a night lamp in a child&#39;&#39;s room, or the like. The lamp comprises a translucent plastic casing having a conical shape, and an electric lamp and socket positioned within the casing. The lamp socket is removably mounted on a spider which is fastened to the bottom of the casing by appropriate screws, or other fasteners. Decals containing advertising messages, slogans, or the like, may be affixed to the exterior surface of the casing to be illuminated when the lamp is energized. In addition, one or more plastic annular members of varying diameters may be fitted over the casing to form shelves for small toys, such as cars, dolls, or the like.

United States Patent [191 Thomas et a1.

1 1 LAMP [76] Inventors: Wesley L. Thomas, 109 S. Catalina,

' Los Angeles, Calif. 90004; James Allan Thomas, 861 Willow Dr., Brea, Calif. 92621 22 Filed: Apr. 30, 1973 211 App]. No.: 355,317

[52] U.S. Cl 240/2 SL, 240/10 R, 240/41 L [51] Int. Cl. F2lv 33/00 [58] Field of Search 240/2 SL, 20 R, 10.1, 10 T,

240/41 L, 41.6, 108, 10 S, 10 O, 6.4

[11] 3,819,924 June 25,1974

402.465 12/1933 Great Britain 240/108 Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner-Alan Mathews Attorney, Agent, or FirmJessup & Beecher 57] ABSTRACT An improved lamp assembly is provided which may be used, for example, as an advertising display, or for illuminating purposes wherever a soft light is desired, such as in bars, as a night lamp in a childs room, or the like. The lamp comprises a translucent plastic casing having a conical shape, andan electric lamp and socket positioned within the casing. The lamp socket is removably mounted on a spider which is fastened to the bottom of the casing by appropriate screws, or other fasteners. Decals containing advertising messages, slogans, or the like, may be affixed to the exterior surface of the casing to be illuminated when the lamp is energized. In addition, one or more plastic annular members of varying diameters may be fitted over the casing to form shelves for small toys, such as cars, dolls, or the like.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Plastice cones have been used on highways for many years as vehicle markers. It has also been proposed to use translucent plastic cones with some type of internal illuminating means for this purpose. The present invention utilizes a cone similar to the traffic marker as a basis for a unique structure in which the cone is adapted to serve as a component of a lamp. The resulting lamp assembly emits a soft glow which makes it ideal for the uses suggested above.

In the practice of the invention, a spider member is attached to the bottom of a translucent plastic cone. An electric lamp socket for an internal lamp is removably mounted on the spider, so that the socket amd lamp may be supported within the cone. The construction is such that the'socket may be easily removed from the spider and from the cone to permit replacement of the lamp, when needed.

As noted above, decals may be afiixed to the outer surface of the translucent conical casing having slogans, advertising messages, personal pictures or scenes, or the like, all of which are illuminated when the lamp is energized. In addition, annular plastic members of different diameters may be provided to be fitted over the conical casing to act as shelves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective representation of a lamp assembly constructed to incorporate the concepts of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of a pair of annular members of different diameters which serve as shelves for the assembly;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the assembly of FIG. 1, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lamp socket which is supported in the assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The lamp assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 comprises a conical member which serves as the casing of the assembly. The conical member is formed of any appropriate translucent plastic material, and it has an integral base 10a as shown. An internal lamp within the conical member 10 is energized through a usual electric cord 14, and an electric switch 12 is mounted on the cord, as shown.

A spider 16 supports an electric lamp 18 within the conical member, the lamp 18 being threaded into a suitable electric socket 20. The socket 20 is releasably supported on the spider 16 by a pair of spaced resilient arms 2] which snap into a central aperture of the spider 16. The spider 16 is mounted on the bottom of the conical member 10 by appropriate screws 24, or other suitable fastening members.

When the spider 16 is mounted in place, and when the socket 20 is supported on the spider, the lamp 18 is positioned within the translucent conical member 10, so that when the lamp is energized by actuating the switch 12, the lamp emits a soft glow. The socket 20 may easily be snapped out of the spider 16 and removed from the interior of the assembly, whenever it is desired to replace the lamp 18 The socket can be removed through the spider, or the spider may be removed. In the latter case, convenient thumb actuated screws 24 may be provided.

A pair of annular members 28 and 30 of different diameters may be fitted over the conical section 10b to act as shelves for small toys or the like. The annular members are shown, for example, in FIG. 2. Also, pictures, transparencies, scenes, logos, or the like, designated 32 in FIG. 1, may be affixed to the outer surface of the conical portion 10b to be illuminated when the internal lamp 18 is energized.

The invention provides, therefore, a lamp assembly which may be used for display or illuminating purposes. The lamp assembly of the invention is relatively inexpensive in its construction, and it may be sold at a relatively low price. It will be appreciated, that although a particular embodiment of the lamp has been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended in the following claims to cover all the modifications which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed:

1. A lamp assembly comprising: a casing having a generally conical shape with a bottom of relatively large diameter and a top of relatively small diameter, and formed of translucent plastic material; a support member mounted on the bottom of the casing; and an electric lamp socket mounted on said support member to be supported thereby inside said casing; an electric power cord connected to said lamp socket; a switch connected to the electric power cord for controlling the electric current to said lamp socket; and which includes at least one annular member having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of said casing at an intermediate location of said casing fitted over said casing to said intermediate position to serve as a shelf.

2. The lamp assembly defined in claim I, in which said support member is in the form of a spider mounted on the bottom of the casing and having a central aperture and radial arms extending across the bottom, and which includes a pair of spaced resilient arms affixed to said lamp socket and extending through said aperture in said spider for removably mounting the lamp socket on the inner surface of said spider.

3. The lamp assembly defined in claim 1, and which includes pictorial representations mounted on the outer surface of said casing to be illuminated by the lamp. 

1. A lamp assembly comprising: a casing having a generally conical shape with a bottom of relatively large diameter and a top of relatively small diameter, and formed of translucent plastic material; a support member mounted on the bottom of the casing; and an electric lamp socket mounted on said support member to be supported thereby inside said casing; an electric power cord connected to said lamp socket; a switch connected to the electric power cord for controlling the electric current to said lamp socket; and which includes at least one annular member having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of said casing at an intermediate location of said casing fitted over said casing to said intermediate position to serve as a shelf.
 2. The lamp assembly defined in claim 1, in which said support member is in the form of a spider mounted on the bottom of the casing and having a central aperture and radial arms extending across the bottom, and which includes a pair of spaced resilient arms affixed to said lamp socket and extending through said aperture in said spider for removably mounting the lamp socket on the inner surface of said spider.
 3. The lamp assembly defined in claim 1, and which includes pictorial representations mounted on the outer surface of said casing to be illuminated by the lamp. 